We've got the best health insurance system in the World!!!11

http://baselinescena...petence-part-two/

David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times has a horror story about Aetna, the large health insurance company. The basic facts are:

1. Aetna increased a customerÂs monthly premium by $32 as of August.
2. On September 30, Aetna sent her a letter saying her premium had gone up. (This is the letter supplied to the Los Angeles Times by Aetna, which I think is pretty clear proof there was no earlier letter.)
3. Beginning in October, the customer began paying the higher premium.
4. In November, Aetna rejected payment for a doctorÂs bill.
5. The customer contacted Aetna, who said she had missed payment for OctoberÂwhich wasnÂt true (she had paid the higher premium for October).
6. When the customer appealed, Aetna wouldnÂt let her simply pay the extra $64 (the difference for August and September), and insisted on rescinding her policy.

The customer in question is a cancer survivor who needs regular medication and checkupsÂhence the kind of customer that health insurance companies want to drop if at all possible.

When the LA Times intervened, Aetna agreed to reinstate her policy.

But whatÂs the penalty for Aetna? Zilch. What incentive does Aetna have to stop screwing its customers? None.

Flabbergasting, but not surprising. The system rewards such behavior, so it happens.

:-(

Cheers,
Scott.
(Who sure hopes Coakley wins...)

Post #320,264 by Another Scott 1/19/10 11:22:00 AM Reply	We've got the best health insurance system in the World!!!11 http://baselinescena...petence-part-two/ David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times has a horror story about Aetna, the large health insurance company. The basic facts are: 1. Aetna increased a customerÂs monthly premium by $32 as of August. 2. On September 30, Aetna sent her a letter saying her premium had gone up. (This is the letter supplied to the Los Angeles Times by Aetna, which I think is pretty clear proof there was no earlier letter.) 3. Beginning in October, the customer began paying the higher premium. 4. In November, Aetna rejected payment for a doctorÂs bill. 5. The customer contacted Aetna, who said she had missed payment for OctoberÂwhich wasnÂt true (she had paid the higher premium for October). 6. When the customer appealed, Aetna wouldnÂt let her simply pay the extra $64 (the difference for August and September), and insisted on rescinding her policy. The customer in question is a cancer survivor who needs regular medication and checkupsÂhence the kind of customer that health insurance companies want to drop if at all possible. When the LA Times intervened, Aetna agreed to reinstate her policy. But whatÂs the penalty for Aetna? Zilch. What incentive does Aetna have to stop screwing its customers? None. Flabbergasting, but not surprising. The system rewards such behavior, so it happens. :-( Cheers, Scott. (Who sure hopes Coakley wins...)
Post #320,272 by pwhysall 1/19/10 1:06:30 PM Reply	Yeah! Socialised medicine kills people! Death panels!!1
Post #320,277 by boxley 1/19/10 1:19:00 PM Reply	you forgot shop stewards If we torture the data long enough, it will confess. (Ronald Coase, Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, 1991)
Post #320,313 by warmachine 1/19/10 7:17:45 PM Reply	Insurers have already told Congress where to stick it http://articles.lati...ness/fi-rescind17 Late in the hearing, Stupak, the committee chairman, put the executives [of UnitedHealth's Golden Rule Insurance Co., Assurant Health and WellPoint Inc.] on the spot. Stupak asked each of them whether he would at least commit his company to immediately stop rescissions except where they could show "intentional fraud." The answer from all three executives: "No." Health insurance companies don't even bother pretending to be fair. It is not at all surprising they lie and stonewall. At least the Communists paid lip service. -------------------------------------------- Matthew Greet I'm not prejudiced. I hate everyone equally.

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